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Business profile up and calls made to test it. Suddenly, the engineer pressed down on the hook switch to make a new call and the problem was solved! So with all the mechanical enhancements made and the new electronics sorted and tested the RA708 range of telephones were duly Network Rail approved. The whole process from first being invited by Network Rail to go for approval to getting the certificate took only 12 months. All the hard work and investment had paid off: DAC had a product range that it believed was far better than current equipment supplied and it was so confident that the whole range comes with a two-year warranty. However before DAC was able to congratulate itself too much, Network Rail decided to put the claims to the test: it decided to replace 30 of the worstperforming level crossings in the UK with the RA708 telephones and do a like-forlike performance test over a 13 month period. Once the tests had been completed and all the faults recorded for both types of equipment over the 26 month test period it was crunch time: had DAC done enough to improve the product to out-perform the current established suppliers Happily, the RA708 had outperformed the current equipment by a factor of three, which means the model is back with a vengeance - the same only better. A winning formula Customers, end users and stakeholders alike agreed that the formula worked and now, DAC has consulted with Network Rail to develop other products. Problems with trackside equipment through vandalism and theft are nothing new, but more has to be done to protect trackside assets and prevent train delays. For that reason, the new RA708 has been developed with an option to include a self-closing door with a lock using the Number one BR key. This ensures that the telephone handset cannot be ripped off, thus contributing to the prevention of train delays. The RA708 with lock is significantly quicker to install than placing a telephone into an anti-vandal housing and also reduces costs - key within the rail industry. Innovation seems to be a keyword of late, with new ways to use technology to improve service, reduce costs and improve safety. DAC has approached this challenge and worked with the rail industry to develop a GSM/GSM-R trackside telephone especially for use at level crossings, where there is no infrastructure to install traditional crossing telephones. Level crossings are one of, if not the most dangerous parts of the railway so they are understandably high on Network Rail’s priority list in regards to public safety. It is only in recent times that the technology has been available Page 136 July/August 2013 to operate a telephone on the GSM network that needs very little power and can operate fast enough to be useful. Harnessing this new technology has not been straightforward as it is pushing the boundaries but those boundaries must not be exceeded as the product must always work when needed. The GSM/GSM-R trackside telephone is easy to install at any location without the need for any cable infrastructure; it is battery powered with a solar panel to keep the batteries topped up, and given the UK weather this is not as straightforward as one might think without the use of a solar panel the size of a football pitch. Thankfully technology has also evolved in batteries, and by using cells designed for satellites it is possible to maintain the phone even if it only gets one hour of sunlight per day. For operational purposes the telephone works in exactly the same way as any crossing telephone, giving the user confidence tones when they lift the handset before contacting the signalman. The GSM/ GSM-R telephone has intelligence built into it and is constantly monitoring its health and battery status and reporting any faults to a central database or a user’s mobile phone, ensuring it is always available when needed. Whoever said ‘Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be’ was half right. Through innovation and consultation DAC has taken an established product and made it better. After all, why re-invent the wheel when you can simply make it better Contact Steven Dade Email: sdade@daclimited.co.uk Tel: 01282 447000 www.daclimited.co.uk
Multidisciplined contractor with extensive experience in the rail, light rail & tram industry throughout the UK We provide the following services: 3rd/4th Rail Installation & Maintenance P-Way & Technical Services Civil Engineering OLE Installation & Maintenance Telecoms & Communications Plant & Operator Hire (RRV MEWPs, haulage, etc.) With offices in London,Manchester & Newcastle Unit 8, Fleetway Business Park, 14-16 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, UB6 7LD Tel: 020 8998 0010 Fax: 020 8998 6901 Email: enquiries@pod-trak.com July/August 2013 Page 137
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